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Saturday, June 11, 2016

Discover... The Ancient Egyptians Book Giveaway

My nine-year old has taking to liking to read about the world oh so long ago. I ran across this book on Ancient Egyptians and a companion book on Ancient Romans and thought it would be fun to take a look at one. After checking in with the publisher, I was sent a review copy of the Egyptian title, with a second copy to giveaway to you, my readers.Before looking at the inside, first off let's look at a few big picture things. First, the books are targeted at eight to eleven year olds (grades 3-7). With my son at nine, that seemed perfect for him. Secondly, the books are sized at 5 3/4" x 10 1/2". I don't get the size, but I guess that makes it easier for the illustrator. Definitely narrower than your typical kid's title.

Speaking of graphics, I have to say they are a major component of the title. This isn't a story book that you read chapter by chapter, but instead more of a history book where you read little snippets about lots of different topics. Every two pages have their own topic which is explained from the perspective of an Egyptian guide and an archaeologist. Topics include Egyptian Society where they illustrate the classes through the levels of a pyramid to the Pharaohs where you get a bit of a timeline.

Language and content-wise, I think the author / illustrator pair hit their target audience quite well. It is great for a day where the child wants to just periodically skim over the bits and pieces and not want to read the whole thing cover to cover. It is also good for parental participation, where the child might read about say hieroglyphics and a parent have a project in mind to do with the child. One can certainly read cover-to-cover, but I don't think you get the retention with a single read. A child would have to do that multiple times to really take the whole book in.The book ends with a pullout map and timeline. The map gives you a basic geography of the area. The timeline is interesting in that it starts "Way back when" (when Egypt was formed with the first pharaoh) and goes to 30 BC when Cleopatra killed herself. Then, it jumps to 1922 when Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb. The timeline is a good depiction of the major events of the country.Overall, if your child is a good reader and likes to learn about historical events, this is a great book to learn about them. None of the words are too complicated, especially for the given audience level, but topics like Ramses and the pyramids aren't for everyone.

And now for the giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the United States, excluding Quebec, who are 18+. It runs through 6/30/16 at 11:59pm EDT. It is for one copy of the book Discover... The Ancient Egyptians. Good luck.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions stated are my own and may differ from yours. See my disclosure policy for more information. Java John Z's is responsible for sponsor prize shipment.